Conquering Myriad Worlds from the Mythical Three Kingdoms

"A very successful haul!"

Lu Xun led his men to clean up one side of the battlefield, redistributed his cannon fodder, and nodded as he looked at the battle report.

They captured over 570 prisoners and killed over 2,300 enemy soldiers, nearly wiping out half a legion. The casualty ratio was approximately one to three, making it a major victory.

"France's empire was built in a short time and lacks sufficient foundation. Even with the addition of that hymn, it still won't last. Every victory will lay the foundation for our ultimate triumph!"

Lu Xun was very satisfied. For them, even a one-to-one casualty ratio was actually acceptable.

War is a matter of national strength and heritage.

The French Empire's base is only so big, and the number of top-tier legions is very limited. Eliminating one of them will make the final battle easier in the future.

After the battle ended, Lu Xun led his men to advance fifty miles, while the French troops retreated again and again.

No matter how much Ma Chao and Sun Ce provoked them, the French officers remained unmoved, acting as if they were as good as dead pigs and didn't care about being scalded by boiling water, thus avoiding battle.

"They've escaped again!" Ma Chao walked into the large tent from outside, his face full of gloom.

“They flee in panic at every battle! What a bunch of rats!” Sun Ce was also somewhat annoyed.

They had originally planned to seek revenge on Roland, but the other side avoided the fight the entire time, leaving them with nowhere to vent their anger.

"I could tell they'd improved, but once the fight started, they just turned and ran!" Ma Chao angrily gulped down the tea on the table.

His conversation with Sun Ce greatly surprised Lu Xun. After reviewing all the previous battle reports, Lu Xun's expression turned serious.

"No, we can't continue like this." Lu Xun was increasingly alarmed as he watched. Although the French side was constantly retreating, the individual strength of their soldiers was clearly increasing.

After all, the process of constantly being defeated and attacked is also a way to hone one's own strength. One can only truly understand things when facing life and death, and perseverance is the best way to temper one's will.

Especially when Joan of Arc controlled the entire empire, and everyone regarded her as their banner.

No officer or general will waver before Joan of Arc is defeated; every defeat now is an opportunity for the enemy to build up their strength.

An indomitable spirit is far more formidable than the unwavering determination forged by Lu Xun's repeated victories. The former is capable of shouldering everything after a great victory, but the latter may not be able to shoulder everything after a great defeat.

Furthermore, escaping is the ultimate test of command, coordination, and alternating cover, and the French officers and generals are rapidly developing their skills.

It can be said that the soldiers on both sides are growing stronger, but Lu Xun's cannon fodder troops will collapse immediately if they encounter tough opponents and cannot win quickly, thus weakening significantly.

If Lu Xun had only brought these cannon fodder this time, he would probably have faced a final defeat.

Because Joan of Arc may not be an invincible military genius, but she is definitely capable of fighting Lu Xun to a standstill. When the cannon fodder collapses, it will become a domino effect that topples everything.

The more Lu Xun pondered this, the more alarmed he became. The difference between the enemy's rank-and-file soldiers and their own cannon fodder troops was no longer significant. The reason they were able to suppress the enemy was no longer a matter of individual quality, but rather a matter of pure morale and the fighting spirit to win battle after battle.

But all of this is meaningless. Once they seize the opportunity to break morale and fighting spirit, all the previous victories will be lost.

What's more troublesome is that Lu Xun has realized that he can no longer afford to let these cannon fodder suffer defeats, nor can he retreat with minimal casualties in each defeat. Therefore, once the situation reverses, he will most likely suffer a complete rout.

However, at this point in the war, discovering this problem is useless. We are not far from where France is holding out. If you don't fight the other side now, they will fight you.

Lu Xun only realized the brilliance of this move at this moment. Now they were in a dilemma, but their morale was high.

The enemy is forcing him to use his current momentum to attack the city and launch a more proactive offensive. But if Lu Xun's morale is shaken in one battle, the cannon fodder under Lu Xun's command will not be far from collapsing.

With the cannon fodder collapsing, Ma Chao, Sun Ce, and even Gao Shun could all face danger.

What Lu Xun found even more alarming was that Ma Chao and Sun Ce were completely out of sorts, blinded by victory, and possibly even having their judgment clouded by the opponent's mental prowess.

Such an arrogant army is likely to suffer a crushing defeat.

Lu Xun became increasingly horrified as he thought about it, and could only send someone to report what he had discovered to Bai Qi. At the same time, he convened a military meeting to try to make everyone realize the seriousness of the problem.

"Everyone is here."

Lu Xun looked at the generals and officers under Ma Chao, Sun Ce, Gao Shun, Zhang Bao, Zhang Liang and others with some annoyance. He knew very well that what he was about to say would dampen their morale. Everyone thought they could win because they really had been winning all the way.

Their momentum was overwhelming, completely suppressing the opposing side, and victory seemed to be just around the corner.

But what he said next was like putting shackles and a cage on his own people, limiting their performance and morale.

"Marshal, please tell us, what's our next move?"

Sun Ce said loudly, "I used to think Lu Xun was unreliable, but his winning streak reminded me of Zhou Yu, so I admire Lu Xun very much."

"Could it be that we're going to bypass the fortified city ahead and head straight for their main camp?" Ma Chao's imagination ran wild, thinking that Lu Xun was planning a surprise attack.

Under normal circumstances, going deep into the city would be suicidal, but their army would soon be on its way, so it wasn't impossible for them to bypass it first.

"The situation is not as good as you think."

After weighing his options for a long time, Lu Xun sent his analysis to Sun Ce, Ma Chao, and the others.

However, Sun Ce and Ma Chao didn't care at all.

"Marshal Lu, you're overthinking it. Those pathetic bastards are a joke to think they can stop us!"

"That's right! Our army is currently riding high on its momentum and should be crushing the enemy in one fell swoop. How can you order us to set up camp on the spot!"

Sun Ce and Ma Chao immediately stood up to object, while Gao Shun frowned as he pondered Lu Xun's analysis.

Everyone here is a seasoned general, and each of them has their own assessment of the situation.

Especially Ma Chao and Sun Ce, who went to the front lines, could clearly feel the reality of the enemy's cannon fodder being routed.

Now that Lu Xun tells them that these cannon fodder, who are like rats, will actually turn into tigers that eat people, the two of them simply can't believe it.

To be honest, Lu Xun also felt it was a bit absurd, but he had met Joan of Arc and was very confident in her appeal.

"Marshal Lu, just give the order, we will obey!" Gao Shun said after a moment of contemplation.

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao and Sun Ce exchanged a glance and then echoed, "Marshal Lu, please give the order, and we will certainly obey!"

Although Ma Chao and Sun Ce did not believe it, under the influence of Xinghan's consistent formation, the two still chose to obey the orders of the wise man.

Both men knew very well that they weren't the brightest minds, and in matters like this, listening to the wise was always the right thing to do. "Alright, since that's the case, then listen to my command, set up camp here, and force the enemy to initiate a decisive battle with our army ahead of schedule!" Lu Xun breathed a sigh of relief and said quite seriously.

Fortunately, the Xinghan military system has a tradition that during wartime, everyone must obey the command of their superiors. They can actively express their opinions, but they must never disobey military orders.

With a military genius at the central level, constantly analyzing the situation, the central government will intervene if a real problem arises.

In the long run, this system has many problems, but at least for now, it is the most suitable military system for Xinghan, and can maximize the commander's ability.

"This battle is extremely dangerous, so please do not underestimate it!"

"There might be a night raid tonight, so all soldiers should rest this afternoon and be on high alert tonight!"

"Yes, sir!" The generals immediately took on their respective tasks and began setting up the camp.

Lu Xun's expression was very serious as he stared at the map and various intelligence reports, constantly deducing the possible scenarios that the enemy might take.

Their vanguard unit, at most, had fewer than 60,000 people.

If the enemy wants to transform their cannon fodder, they must defeat them before the main force arrives.

Therefore, Lu Xun took the initiative to suppress the momentum, adopting a defensive strategy with the momentum of cutting off one's own arm, which directly turned the momentum accumulated by his side into nothingness, but in return, he gained the advantage of defense and counterattack.

Lu Xun understood that as long as they stopped voluntarily, it would be the other side that was in a hurry.

After all, if the opposing side wants their cannon fodder to have combat power, they must reverse the effects of repeated defeats and transform them by becoming stronger with each battle and finally achieving a sublimation.

Lu Xun could accept that the cannon fodder on his side were completely useless, but Joan of Arc's side could not accept it.

The gap in reserve forces between the two sides was too large, so Joan of Arc had to trade space for time and sacrifice for quality.

Each defeat resulted in the loss of a significant number of able-bodied men.

This is also why Sun Ce and Ma Chao were so convinced that the enemy was no threat. They charged to the front lines and personally killed a considerable number of enemies.

At Lu Xun's command, the entire army began to set up camp on the spot.

On the other side, Roland and the others gritted their teeth in hatred. They had clearly prepared a plan to counterattack, but Lu Xun actually acted like a coward, making them feel like their fists were punching the air.

"Don't blame yourself, Roland. The enemy on the other side is no easy opponent. We must be patient, or we will not be able to achieve victory!"

Joan of Arc's voice was calm, yet it made Roland quickly lower his head.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will obey your teachings!"

"The real trouble is yet to come, we must speed up our actions!" Joan of Arc's gaze seemed to pierce through space and land on Bai Qi, who was resting with his eyes closed in the central army.

Bai Qi opened his eyes, placed his hand on his sword, and his blood-red will emanated from his body.

Joan of Arc grunted and then looked away.

It could clearly sense just how much divine blood Bai Qi's longsword was stained with, to the point that it was now being subtly targeted by it.

"Let the warriors begin their preparations! The enemy has already seen through my plan; we have no time to waste!"

After a few seconds of contemplation, Joan of Arc spoke to Roland and Gabriel.

Even though she saw through their scheme, she couldn't stop them from launching it. This was the purpose of Joan of Arc's personal visit. She needed to guide the cannon fodder to undergo a transformation in despair and be sublimated into a vessel capable of bearing the power of the cloud.

Only when these carriers become more powerful can they gain some advantage in subsequent games.

"Yes, sir!" Roland and the others respectfully withdrew.

Joan of Arc's expression remained largely unchanged. Lu Xun saw through her scheme, but it wasn't something that could be solved simply by seeing through it.

The real killer move lies within it. As long as it lives, even if Lu Xun sees through its scheme, he cannot thwart it, because it is also a calculated move.

The strategy of arrogance was merely icing on the cake; the real scheming lay with Joan of Arc herself.

As long as Sun Ce and his forces continue to win, they will eventually drive the cannon fodder into a desperate situation, and Joan of Arc will surely lead them in a counterattack.

Regardless of victory or defeat, the surviving able-bodied men would become qualified soldiers and part of the French army.

They don't have time to develop step by step; the Star Han Empire won't give them that time. So they must sacrifice themselves to gain the strongest power.

What was precious to the empire, the imperial will, was nothing more than a consumable in the hands of Joan of Arc.

Once the imperial will was formed, it burned like a torch. It was only because Joan of Arc's political and diplomatic skills were so formidable that she was able to absorb and integrate various forces, allowing the imperial will to grow steadily and ensuring the empire's stability without any significant upheavals.

As for those minor disturbances, they were all suppressed by Joan of Arc in the name of God with overwhelming force.

When Joan of Arc did not launch a night attack, she knew that Lu Xun would be on guard, so she chose to attack head-on.

The next morning, the massive French army began its march toward Lu Xun's camp.

The White Horse Cavalry discovered the situation in time and then passed the message on to Lu Xun.

"What an annoying intuition!" Lu Xun's expression was not good. He thought the other side would attack the camp, but they didn't, which made them suffer another small loss.

Although they are not particularly difficult problems, these small losses can easily accumulate into a fatal problem.

"The enemy has twice our forces. Does anyone have any ideas?"

Lu Xun actually knew that the best course of action at the moment was to abandon the camp and retreat directly, so that their losses would be minimal and the enemy's transformation would be the least complete.

After all, no matter how much publicity there is, without actual combat, a qualitative transformation cannot be achieved.

But this is precisely the worst choice; they are the vanguard and would never do something like fleeing without a fight.

"Although the enemy has a large number of soldiers, most of them are young and strong, and none of them are even dual-talented soldiers. They are nothing to us," Ma Chao said enthusiastically.

Taking advantage of his speed, he led his men to observe the situation firsthand and discovered that although the opposing force was large, they were all temporary additions, and the vast majority of them did not even possess elite talent.

On this kind of battlefield, it's simply suicide. (End of Chapter)